


Surrounded by Kindness

by LetoaSai



Series: StrifeHart Fluff [36]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cloud misses his mom, Fathers being great fathers, Fear of Illness, Fear of hospitals, M/M, Past Character Death, They love their kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-25 12:33:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22192330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetoaSai/pseuds/LetoaSai
Summary: Cloud was desperately trying to be as optimistic as his husband over finding a donor. It was nice to be reminded just how much support they had.
Relationships: Cloud/Leon (Kingdom Hearts), Leon (Kingdom Hearts)/Squall Leonhart/Cloud Strife
Series: StrifeHart Fluff [36]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1108581
Comments: 21
Kudos: 86





	Surrounded by Kindness

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts

“You look like shit.” 

Cloud looked up from the papers he’s been organizing. He needed a real accountant. He just wanted to teach women and kids to defend themselves. All the other crap that came with running a business was just irritating. 

“Thanks pop. Love you too.” Cloud muttered, finding Cid leaning against his office door. 

Tifa was teaching a kickboxing class and Reno was leading a hand to hand combat class. There were also others hanging around using his studio like a gym or place to meditate. 

Today he had all five of his kids with him plus Lea and Kairi because they liked the classes and Leon deserved a day to sleep in after all the stress he’d been under lately. His husband wouldn't say, but he was dragging and needed some time to recharge. A day to himself was all Cloud could give him. 

“No, really.” Cid said, arms crossed. There was a no smoking rule in his studio or he was sure his father would have a cigar or cigarette in his mouth. “You look like shit. You’re exhausted and running yourself into the ground.” 

“Yeah well…” Cloud tossed his papers to the side. “Happens. Got a lot on my plate.” 

Cid nodded, stepping inside to take the only other chair. “You morons are just gluttons for punishment.” He kept talking before Cloud could get a snarky comment in. “You’re doing a good thing though. Proud of that.” 

Cloud swallowed, snark dying on his tongue. “Thanks pop.” 

Between working full time and five children, things were difficult. He was back to bar tending once or twice a week just to have a little egg nest of emergency money should they need it. Chances were good they would. 

The search for Xion was ongoing with thin trails to follow, and Reiku’s adoption was pending. Cloud didn’t know _who_ pulled _what_ strings but it was happening abnormally fast, even by their standers. Whether it was the hospital, Vincent or Laguna, someone was definitely expediting matters. 

Reiku would be legally theirs soon, but that didn’t mean he was any closer to leaving the hospital. Leukemia was a bitch 

Cid slung his leg up to rest his ankle on his other knee and watched Cloud. “You been to the hospital to see the boy yet?” 

Cloud nodded. “Only once so far. Squall tries to make it two or three times a week. Difficult when someone’s gotta be there for the boys.” 

“You know Vinny and i can do that.” Cid said, watching Cloud’s jaw tighten. 

“I know you can pop, but we ask you to do a lot already.” 

Cid snorted. “You’ve always thought you could lie to me. That shit ain’t necessary. Never has been. It’s hard for you.” 

Cloud reached up to rub at his eyes and didn’t even want to look at his father. He saw too much sometimes. 

“Cloud…” 

“Yes.” Cloud muttered. “It’s hard.” 

“You hate hospitals.” Cid said casually, it being old news for him. “You hate them more then Leon. Different though.” 

Cloud shook his head. “Not so different.” 

Cid just grunted in acknowledgement. “Leon hates the atmosphere. Hates the beeps and the walls and the smells. Hates the desks filled with nurses and the clipboards and the process. It’s overwhelming.” 

Cloud couldn’t deny any of that. 

“You hate the sick people.” 

Cloud winced. Yes, hospitals were hard but everyone had their reasons. 

“You listen to me. You listen right now.” Cid said, talking to Cloud like it was twelve and not thirty-four. “Now i never met her, but that mama of yours is proud of you. Probably doesn’t know what to do with all that pride. Not just your job, your marriage and your life, but all those kids. Now you’re taking on one more kid that’s sick as can be and you’re doing it for all the right reasons.” 

Cloud inhaled slowly, feeling his throat tighten. 

“It’s okay for one of those reasons to be you not wanting him to die alone in a hospital like your mama did.” 

Cloud felt the tears slip before he could stop them. He hated crying, but thinking about his mother did it every time. _Geostigma._

He’d only been a little boy and had barely understood what was happening. Mama was sick and daddy left because he couldn’t handle a sick wife and two boys. Suddenly it was just Cloud taking care of Denzel with a neighbor looking in on them while mama went for treatments. 

Sometimes they went with her. 

He spent two years watching his mama grow weaker and weaker. Watching her die with no concept of the fact that she might not get better. He’d rather be the one sick then ever watch someone he loved go through that again. 

She had died just after he’d turned twelve and then he was on the run from child social services with his four year old brother at his side. It had been all chance and luck that lead them to sneaking on an airship. 

All chance and luck that led them to Cid and Vincent who took care of them, baggage and all. Those two had saved their lives, but that didn’t stop Cloud from thinking about his mama. A woman so pretty turned gaunt and pale. A woman who told her sons how much she loved them every day no matter how sick she felt. He’d only had one picture of the three of them as a family and he’d given it to Denzel. 

When Denzel was ten, he got a copy made so Cloud could have it too. Such a silly thing had meant the world. 

It had been over twenty years and the ache didn’t go away. Now he was watching over this little boy with such an awful disease. Leon was determined to see him well again, and how could Cloud argue that? He wanted him well again too.

“Hey now…” Cid leaned across the desk and reached his hand out, ruffling Cloud’s hair. “She’s proud, you hear me? It’s a selfless thing you two are doing, and if you let it, that kid can heal you as much as your trying to heal him.” 

“Heal me?” Cloud repeated, hearing his own doubt. 

“That’s right. Not every hospital experience ends badly, but the fact that you’ll be there for him will change that boys life. It’ll change yours too.” 

Cloud sniffed and nodded. He needed to visit Reiku more. He _wanted_ too. It was just so damn hard.

“Vinny and i went to get screened this morning.” 

Cloud’s head shot up, eyes tear filled and exhausted. “What? Really?” 

Leon hadn’t been a match. Cloud hadn’t either. 

It was that horrible night of realizing they weren’t options that they were reminded just how many wonderful people they had surrounded themselves with. 

Yuffie had practically run to get screened the second she found out. Tifa, Aerith, Reno, Rude, Barret. They all went to see if they were a match. 

Denzel and Marlene went. 

Lightning went. 

Friends they hadn’t heard from in ages had heard about little Reiku and were all trying to do their part. Yuna and Tidus. Zidane and Vaan. 

Laguna went. 

Ellone went, and after what Cloud suspected was an emotional conversation between Leon and his sister, others were calling. 

Rinoa got tested. Irvine, Quistis and the rest of Leon’s friends from back home got screened too. Even Seifer. 

Two other professors from the University offered too, both of them parents. They were happy to help Leon if they could. Five of the mothers from one of Cloud’s self defense classes had gone after seeing him holding himself together by stings and forcing him to admit what was wrong after he’d gotten his own test results back. 

Zack had been tested and Cloud knew that Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis had made appointments too. 

“Thanks pop…” Cloud swallowed thickly. “Don’t know what to say.” 

“This is what you do for family, kid. We’d have done it sooner had we not been in the air.” Cid said, voice at a lowered speaking volume for once. “We’re gonna get through this.” 

Cloud nodded and didn’t complain when Cid rounded the desk to stand beside him. Cloud slumped to the side and rested his forehead against Cid's hip. 

There were nights when he was a kid, where he'd clung to Cid. He clung to whatever sense of safety he could find and Cid and Vincent had always offered it. 

“Thank you.” he repeated. 

“You still look like shit...” Cid muttered, patting Cloud’s spikes. “Teach your next class, i’ll take the munchkins after. We’ll go for an early dinner. You go home to that husband of yours and you two can mope together.” 

Cloud nodded once, it sounded like a nice idea. It felt like it had been ages since the two of them had been alone together. “Okay. You sure.” 

“Gonna pretend you didn’t even ask, brat.” Cid said, glancing back at the clock with a hand on Cloud’s shoulder. “Your class starts in half an hour. Pull yourself together.” 

“Yeah.” Cloud agreed, still leaning against him. 

Cid didn’t move either, just stood leaning against Cloud’s desk with Cloud leaning against him. 

Whether Cloud was twelve or thirty-four, it didn’t really matter. Cid was there, Cid taught him how to be a father just by _doing_.

**Author's Note:**

> Series Master List
> 
> Out of Order  
> A Winning Distraction (in the middle of Out of Order)  
> Quiet Midnight (in the middle of Out of Order)  
> Radiant Christmas (in the middle of Out of Order)  
> First Dance  
> Until Monday  
> Repeat  
> Not enough treats  
> Wager  
> Calling Home (technically just before and just after Wager)  
> Renewals   
> Date Night  
> Sick Lions  
> Bad Memories  
> Not Perfect (could really fit in a few places, here is fine)  
> Patience  
> Long Weekends  
> Fever  
> Melee  
> Time will Tell  
> Rumble  
> Fortitude  
> A Day for Two  
> Summer Sun  
> Homemade  
> Moving on  
> Probably Haunted  
> The Night Before: by Kutikue  
> It’s only two more  
> Safeguard  
> Finding Sleep  
> Wishes  
> Professional Aid  
> Hope: by Jokul_Nightfury_Frost  
> Match  
> Surrounded by Kindness  
> Christmas Wisdom   
> On the Eve


End file.
